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Australian
Chardonnay
Session 8 of the Landmark Australia Tutorial
Michael Hill-Smith presented this
session. ‘I judged my first wine show in 1980,’ he said, ‘and
I have seen changes in Australian Chardonnay over a long period. I
have been involved in production of it since 1990.’
This makes him well placed to comment on
how the style of Aussie Chardonnay has evolved.
But it’s a relative newcomer to
Australia, with a history stretching back just to the 1970s.
Apparently, Murray Tyrrell tasted great white Burgundy and became
obsessed by it. He found out that Penfolds had 6–7
acres of it, and he asked for some in 1967/68 but was refused. So he
got some cuttings from these vines by other means.
His first vintage of Chardonnay was
unoaked, but by 1973 he was using small oak barrels. His wine was
given 6/20 by one of the judges at the Brisbane wine show. But the
Tyrrell’s Vat 47 went on to become an Australian icon: big, bold,
rich and delicious.
Many of the early Australian Chardonnays
were unwooded, picked like Riesling and Semillon. They didn’t make
much impact. But once people decided ripeness criteria for
Chardonnay were different and started to use oak for ageing and/or
barrel fermentation, the classic, stereotypical Aussie Chardonnay
was born, and people loved it.
These were rich, golden, oaky wines. A
good example would be the Rosemount Roxburgh Chardonnay, which was a
classic of its time.
‘Now people look down their noses at
these wines,’ says Hill-Smith, ‘and that’s unfair. They
weren’t elegant or refined, but they offered a mouthful of flavour,
and consumers embraced this. But the style was found wanting at the
fine wine end.’
‘We now have a better understanding of
site and climate, better planting material and a better
understanding of the winemaking process—as well as a clearer goal
or philosophy.’
The wines we tasted reflected the
progress that has been made with Australian Chardonnay, as well as a
variety of styles.
THE
WINES
2006
Tyrrell's Wines Vat 47 Chardonnay, Hunter Valley
Very rich, toasty, spicy nose is intense with complex spicy
notes. The palate is bold, rich and powerful with nice ripe fruit
and lots of oak, but all the flavours mesh well together. Big and
rich but works. 93/100
2006
Cullen Wines Kevin John Chardonnay, Margaret River
Intense herby nose with rich, sweet, bold nutty fruit. The
palate has a green herbal, slightly unripe edge to it as well as
intense, bold, soft-textured, almost lush fruit. Savoury, spicy
finish. An intense wine that may evolve well. 90/100
2006
Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay, Margaret River
There’s a fresh, mineral edge to the bold ripe pineapple and
peach nose. The palate is concentrated and rich with lovely depth
and boldness. A rich, intense style with creamy vanilla oak
integrating well with the rich fruit. 93/100
2006
Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay, Margaret River
Refined, creamy, toasty nose with bold tropical fruit. The
palate is smooth, elegant and lush with power and elegance combined.
Soft textured and delicious. 93/100
2006
Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills
Restrained, nutty, spicy palate is quite smooth with some rich,
oily notes and hints of lemon, grapefruit and vanilla. Mostly fresh
and bright with nice acidity. Sophisticated wine that needs more
time. 92/100
2006
Tapanappa Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills
Lifted lemony, herby, subtly nutty nose with hints of toast and
vanilla. Fresh, tight, textured style with crisp, complex yet
restrained fruit. Aiming at elegance with a nice lemony quality. You
could dismiss it as simple but it picks up complexity in the glass.
92/100
2006
Giaconda Chardonnay, Beechworth
Amazingly rich, toasty, aromatic and broad with ripe, lush,
tropical fruit notes and some savoury oak. The palate is
rich-textured and broad with almost fat, smooth peach and pear notes
as well as well integrated oak. Finishes warm and spicy. A rich,
concentrated, sophisticated wine. 95/100
2006
Bindi Wine Growers Quartz Chardonnay, Macedon Ranges
Intense, creamy, toasty and broad with ripe pear, melon and
pineapple fruit, as well as toast and vanilla notes. Intense and
vivid with a savoury, spicy, oaky finish. Rich and delicious. 92/100
2006
Stonier Wines KBS Vineyard Chardonnay, Mornington Peninsula
Sophisticated, fine nose with overt toasty oak notes. The palate
is powerful and complex with spice, toast and vanilla notes as well
as nice citrus and grapefruit freshness. Long, spicy finish. Oaky,
but may age well. 92/100
2006
Oakridge 864 Chardonnay, Yarra Valley
Very fresh, fine, lemony, pithy nose. The palate is super fine
with elegant, taut, fresh citrussy fruit and some bready, toasty,
vanilla notes adding depth. Tight, fresh, yet concentrated and
broad. Old world style with real poise. 93/100
2006
TarraWarra Estate MDB Chardonnay, Yarra Valley
Very fine, aromatic nose with floral and lemon oil notes. Rich,
fine, lush, open palate with lovely rounded texture and also good
restraint. Rich, soft and smooth with wonderful balance and peach
and melon richness. 94/100
2006
Freycinet Chardonnay, Tasmania
Crisp and lemony with delicate yet ripe fruit. Pretty and
attractive in a fresh fruity style with some subtle toasty notes.
92/100
2006
Hardys Eileen Hardy Chardonnay, Regional Blend
This vintage is from Tasmania, Yarra and Tumbarumba. Rich,
complex and bold on the nose with some rich nuttiness and fine
lemony freshness. The palate is rich with bold, full, dense peach
and pear notes as well as lovely freshness. Lots of complexity.
93/100
2006
Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay, Regional Blend
This vintage comes from Tasmania, Adelaide Hills and Henty.
Fresh, expressive and lemony with the dominant theme being the
crisp, focused lemony fruit. The palate has a hint of toasty
richness, but it is all about the concentrated yet fresh lemony,
grapefruit characters supporting the richer pineapple and peach
notes. Very fine. 94/100
Landmark
Australia
 Introduction
Visiting
the Australian Wine Research Institute
Session
1 - Regional Classics
Session
2 - Riesling
Session
3 - Shiraz and Blends
Session
4 - Historical Perspective
Session
5 - Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Blends
Session
6 - Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends
Session
7 - An Alternative View
Session
8 - Chardonnay
Session
9 - Pinot Noir
Session
10 - Blending the rules
Session
11 - Sparkling
Session
12 - Fortified
Wines
tasted 06/09
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